Centrifugal machine



1 9 1141 26 C. A. SCHNEIDER CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE Filed May '7, 1924 Vzajlqflh Y .95 n? 74 y if 0/1- 9 Illlllllllll Q0 A.,SQEENEEIDERCENTRIFUGAL MACHINE Filed May '7, 1924 2 Sheeus- Sheet 2 3mm m PatentedOct. 19, 1926.

exams a SCHNEIDER, or amnearoa'r, WISCONSIN.

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Application filed 7, 1924. Serial No. 711,714.

This invention relates to machines in which materials in a containerrotated at high speed are separated or treated, and it is adaptable foruse in cream-se arators and '5 various other types of centri ugalliquidseparators, in centrifugal machines for separating solids from liuids, in centrifugal 1drieirs, and in other mac ines of the gyratory Itis an object of the invention so to mount a rotor, for supportin a bowlor other container, that it automatically may balance and adjust itselfand its load and rotate steadily and thereby compensate forchanges inthe center of gravity resulting from irregular deposits of solid matteron walls 'or other unequal disposition of load.

Another object of the invention is to provide drive means for the rotorthat will not interfere with automatic balancing or adjustment, therotor and drive means being so formed and associated that the freegyration of each is permitted without disturbing the concentric relationof the other to fixed parts.

Among other ob'ects of the invention are so to form, coor 'nate, andassociate the parts that there is a minimum of frictional resistance tooperation of the machine; to

make the parts easy to disassemble for cleaning, repair, replacement,etc.', and to provid ade uate lubrication.

en considered in connection with the description herein, thecharacteristics of the invention are 'apparent from the accompanyingdrawings, forming part hereof, wherein parts of a centrifugal machine ofthe creamseparator type are disclosed, for purposes of illustration. I

Although the disclosures herein exemplify what now is considered to be apreferable embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that itis not the intention to be limited necessarily thereto in inter retationof the claims, as modifications an adaptationswithin the limits of theclaims can be made without'departing from the nature of the invention.

Like reference characters refer to corre-' spondlng parts in the viewsof the drawings, of whichv a Fig. -1 is a bottom view of the rotor, withthe retaining-ring removed;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the rotor with the retaining-ring in place;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the machine;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the rotor and of the upper portions ofthe spindle and drive-sha t;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55, Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a section of the drive-shaft and associated parts;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section illustrative of a modification; and

Fig. 8 is a view of the retaining-ring.

In the drawings, which disclose only such parts of the machine as arenecessary for ex emplification of the invention, A designates a basemember and B, C, and D gear-case walls. I

A vertical s indle and rotor-support 9 is mounted fixe y by havin itslower end portion screw threaded an turned into a threaded opening inthe base member A. The spindle may be adjusted upwardly and downwardlyby turning in the base member. The spindle is formed witha spirallubricant groove 10 extending from the base to its top.

It has in its upper end an inverted coneshaped bearing-depression orseat 11. In order to avoid undue wear, the entire spindle or the up erportion thereof may be of hardened steeij or it may have in its upperend a hard insert 11, as shown b Fi 4.

A ball or other suitable earmg 12 on the base member A has a driveelement resting thereon. That element is of two separable v parts. Oneof these parts includes a 001: 13, which .rests on the bearing, and asleeve 14 integrally formed with a pinion 15. The sleeve is locked, byset-screws 16 or in any other suitable manner, to a tubular driveshaft17 therein, which is the other part of the drive element. Thedrive-shaft 1s rotatable on the fixed spindle, it extends to or slightlybeyond the upper end of the spindle,

' tion on the spindle.

and it has on its upper portion radiallyextending projections or lugs18.

A rotor 19, formed with a cavity 20 extending upwardly thereinto fromits bottom, has in its upper portion a. concentricallydisposed pointedbearing member 21, of hardened steel or other suitable material. Thebearing member rests in the terminal seat 11 of the spindle. Therotor-cavity is of sufiicient size to ermit the upper portion of thedrive-shaft 1 to extend thereinto with considerable clearance betweenits wall and the shaft, in order that the rotor'may be free to adjustitself automatically during rota- The rotor is formed with internalsubstantially vertical slots or recesses 22 extending upwardly thereintofrom its bottom and open to the cavity, and

into which the projections 18 of the drive shaft extend and by whichrotary motion is imparted to the rotor. In an annular seat 23 in thebottom of the rotor there is held by tastenings 24 a ring 25, whichcloses the lower ends of the slots 22 and by contact with theprojections 18 prevents the rotor from being lifted 0d from thedrive-shaft. The ring has a depending outwardly-flaring annular flange26.

If desired, the bearing-point and its seat may be reversed; that is: thespindle may be equipped with a bearing point 21, and the rotor may havea depression or seat 11*, as shown by F g 7.

The exterior contour of the rotor is such as to' permit a bowl or othercontainer to be hung thereon and by frictional action to receive rotarymotion therefrom. For example, there is shown by Fig. 3 aliquidseparator bowl 27 hung on the rotor.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the bearing-point should be above thecenter of gravity of the rotor, in order that the rotor may hang infreely balancing state on the fixed spindle, and the major portion ofthe container and its contents should be below the center of gravity forthe same reason. However, the gravitational position of thebearing-point with respect to the rotor alone is immaterial, so long asthe major portion of the total weight of rotor, con- :tainer, andcontents of the latter is therebe- The projections 18 of the drive-shaftfit loosely into the slots 22 of the rotor, so that no restraint isafiorded thereby to the self balancing of the rotor on itspivot-bearing, and the mass carried by that bearing, whether itbe therotor alone or the rotor, bowl, and the contents of the latter, is freeat all times to balance itself, both while in motion and at rest,without interference by the driving instrumentality.

Bolts or other suitable removable fasteners 28 hold on an upper wall Bof the gearcase a casing 29, and the bowl 27 depends into this casing.The drive-shaft is sur= rounded by an annular wall 30 spaced therefromand extending upwardly from the bottom of the casing 29 and from anopening in the upper wall B to a point sli htly above the lower edge ofthe annular; flange 26 or the ring 25. An annular extension 31 of thebottom of the casing 29 projects inwardly to a osition in alineinentwith the upper end of t e sleeve 14. That end of the sleeve affords anannular shoulder. It is contactable with the annular extension 31, whichconstitutes a stop to prevent undue upward movement of the sleeve andthe drive-shaft therein, as when the bowl is lifted 0E from the rotor.-;.;;The extension 31 also acts as an arrester-fiange that preventsupward splash of lubricant into the space within the arena lar wall 30.

The drive-shaft and rotor, and thereby the container on the latter, aredriven at high speed by a gear 32 in mesh with the pinion 15, that gearbeing one oi a train of gearing of the drive mechanism of the machine.

The gear-case contains lubricant, some of which is worked up the spindleby the ceac tion of the rotating dr1ve-shaft with the groove 10.Lubricant by that means is supplied to the pivot-bearing, it is thrownoutwardly by centrifugal action against the inner wall of the rotor andinto the slots 22, and it returns downwardly therefrom inside of thewall 30 to the gear-case and onto the pinion 15 and gear 32. Thedepending flan e 26, which extends downwardly inside of t e wall 30,prevents any lubricant from being thrown outside of that wall into thecasing in which the bowl rotates.

The parts of the machine may be dis assembled easil for cleaning,repair, or re placement. A ter looseningthe set-screws 16, thedrive-shaft with the rotor thereon may be withdrawn upwardly from thespin= dle, and the rotor may be removed from the shaft after removal ofthe ring-fasteners 24-. The sleeve 14 may be withdrawn upwardly from thespindle after removal of the easmg 29 with its sleeve-retain ng flange31. The spindle may be turned out of the base, when it is necessary toremove it. The

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parts may be assembled in a manner sub= stantially the reverse of thatdescribed for disassembly.

Having thus described my invention, what i I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let: ters Patent, is V 1. In a centrifugal machine, an uprightfixed spindle, a cavitied rotor ivotally mounted on the upper end of saispindle and having a slot extending upwardly thereinto, a tubulardrive-shaft on said spindle, a proyection extending from said shaft intosaid slot, and a removable closing member at the lower end of said slot.I

2. In a centrifugal machine, an upright fixed spindle, a cavitied rotorpivotally mounted on the upper end of said spindle having a slotextending upwardly thereinto and having also an annular seat in itsbottom, a tubular drive-shaft on, said spindle, a projection extendingfrom said shaft into said slot, and a ring in said annular seat closingthe lower end of said slot.

3. In a centrifugal machine, an upright fixed spindle, a rotor on theupper portion of W said spindle, a tuloular drive-shaft on said spindlearranged to operate said rotor, a

casing having a Wall snaeed from and disposed around said shaft, and anannular flange depending from said rotor into the

